Use Creative Thinking!
Yes that’s correct.
Creative thinking.
We use this type of thinking to solve problems, develop new products and businesses.
Yet when it comes to our own career which for most people is the most important application we don’t seem to use it.
Over the years I have run many creative thinking workshops for people and showed them how to apply some of my tools to their own life.
There is often an ‘aha’ moment when they realise that yes it is possible and even better, it works!
If you want the same career in 10 years as you have now then you have no use for creativity.
But if you want to reinvent your career then you need to think differently.
You have to make a non-linear leap of imagination.
And a leap of emotion.
Because you need to move out of your comfort zone and face the situation where you may or may not succeed.
Reinventing your career can be risky.
But if you are miserable and frustrated in your career it is no risk at all.
The Power of 3
Here is one tool that can help you think in a more creative and divergent way about reinventing your career.
I call it The Power of 3.
Try and generate 3 types of career possibilities:
– the usual ones i.e. a continuation of your current career
– a different one i.e. one that is close by or adjacent to your existing career (e.g. i moved from marketing to advertising in my career)
– a radical move i.e. one that is completely different from what you have done before (e.g. I went from a corporate leader to university lecturer).
This simple tool can help you generate a range of options and possibilities.
Now decide what appeals to you and make some small steps to achieving this goal.
For example, say you want to be an author, start by writing your own blog, then submitting articles then move on.
You will soon know if you might enjoy this new direction and /or learn some valuable lessons along the way.
The key lesson?
To reinvent your career requires creative thinking and moving out of your comfort zone.
The journey has its ups and downs but the rewards can be the attainment of a more fulfilling life.
What’s more, if you learn how to think in a creative way you can reinvent your career again and again.
It’s an invaluable life skill.